The house of the league’s two-time reigning Vezina Trophy winner is the Central Division.
Connor Hellebuyck, also called Bucky, Buck-Buck, and Helly in response to Hockey Reference, will stay a favourite for the Vezina all through the 2025-26 season.
However, humor me slightly and try the opposite two goalies on this division who might problem Hellebuyck’s supremacy this season. Listed below are the three goalies within the Central with the shortest odds to win the Vezina Trophy.
Who Are the Finest Goalies within the NHL’s Central Division?
Connor Hellebuyck, Jets (+300)
Hellebuyck is coming off a unprecedented 2024-25 season, which landed him not solely a second-straight Vezina Trophy but additionally a Hart Trophy win.
Hellebuyck led the league with 63 begins and posted a career-best 2.00 GAA alongside a .925 save proportion. He additionally led the league with 47 wins final season.
If he can proceed on the present tempo, I don’t know if many goalies within the league might cease him from successful three in a row.
The final goalie to win three straight Vezina Trophies was Corridor of Famer Dominik Hasek, who received in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Hasek has six Vezina trophy wins to his title, tied with Invoice Durnan for the second most wins ever — Jacques Plante has essentially the most with seven.
Hellebuyck has an extended option to go earlier than he can stand with these greats on the high of the Vezina-wins leaderboard.
Jake Oettinger, Stars (+1500)
Dallas’ Oettinger has an opportunity on this upcoming to problem Hellebuyck in his personal division.
Within the 2024-25 season, he had a 2.59 GAA and a .909 save proportion in 58 video games began. Oettinger had a report of 36-18 in these video games.
Oettinger additionally served as Hellebuyck’s backup throughout Workforce USA’s run within the 4 Nations match and began in a single sport within the match.
For his work throughout the 2024-25 season, he completed in eighth place in Vezina voting.
The closest Oettinger has come to successful the award was in 2023 when he completed in fifth place after a 2.37 GAA and a .919 save proportion season.
The 26-year-old goaltender is form of caught a tier someplace proper beneath the place Hellebuyck the opposite super-elite goaltenders like Vasilevskiy are and the place the merely nice or good goaltenders are.
A significant change in his statistical output, like main the league in GAA or save proportion, might propel him throughout that threshold. Or maybe a extra profitable common season in Dallas.
Mackenzie Blackwood, Avalanche (+2800)
After stints in New Jersey and San Jose, Mackenzie Blackwood has develop into a key to the successful formulation in Colorado.
He was traded from the Sharks to Avalanche final season and he hit the bottom working, ending the season with 2.33 GAA and .913 save proportion. Blackwood had a 22-12 report in 37 video games began.
He additionally made his NHL playoffs debut final 12 months with Colorado, beginning in seven video games for the Avalanche and incomes a 2.71 GAA and .892 save proportion.
Colorado’s brass favored him a lot that they gave him a five-year, $26.25 million after simply 4 video games began final season.
Blackwood is a strong goaltender who will help the Avalanche on their quest in the direction of reaching one other Stanley Cup however the odds of him successful a Vezina Trophy this season are very slim.
He’s at the moment holding the eleventh shortest odds within the league and barring one thing fully unexpected I don’t know if he has a push in him.
